Illegal Brewster Resident Arrested Twice in 18 Hours

A Brewster man, who has reportedly been living in the country illegally, was arrested twice in 18 hours following separate robbery and forcible touch incidents in Putnam.

According to Putnam County Sheriff Brian Hess, at about 9 p.m. Sept. 29, Putnam County 911 dispatched deputies to the Southeast train station after a female passenger reported being forcibly touched by a male aboard a train. The suspect fled before deputies arrived.

An officer quickly located Diego Rodriguez-Ordonez, 24, near the train yard, and when he refused repeated commands and resisted arrest, a Taser was deployed and he was taken into custody.

Rodriguez-Ordonez was charged with forcible touching, second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and third-degree criminal trespass, all misdemeanors. He was arraigned in Southeast Town Court, where bail was set at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond.

Earlier that day, at about 3 a.m., deputies assisted the Kent Police Department at the Sinclair gas station in Kent where Rodriguez-Ordonez allegedly assaulted a store clerk who attempted to stop him from stealing merchandise.

Officers located Rodriguez-Ordonez hiding in a swampy area near the gas station and took him into custody. He was charged by the Kent Police Department with robbery and assault, as well as felony criminal mischief in connection with a separate incident at a nearby bank.

Due to state law, the was released on his own recognizance.

“Two arrests. Two victims. Eighteen hours,” said Hess. “This individual was back on our streets just hours after his first arrest. This type of predatory behavior has no place in Putnam County. I am grateful that neither victim was seriously injured, and I commend our deputies and our partners at the Kent Police Department for their swift and thorough police work.”